There has been a dip in the number of pre-Christmas shoppers on the High Street compared to a year ago. According to data from the Retail Footfall Index, November saw a 3 per cent decline in shoppers on the same period last year. However, the drop may not be all bad news for retailers. Figures also showed that visits to online retail sites were up by 22.4 per cent last month. Martin Davies of Experian, the group that owns Footfall, said: “Our research suggests that the relatively poor show on the high street is due to shifting channel choice rather than declines in spending. The boom in online activity shows that UK consumers are still determined to celebrate this Christmas.” Although actual High Street shopping trips may be down, overall Christmas spending is predicted to be up on 2006, buoyed by the surge in online purchasing. Credit card companies are forecasting a 50 per cent leap in online spending compared to last year. Internet shoppers are expected to splash out £5.6 billion this Christmas, representing one pound in ten of all the money spent using cards. Date:3 December 2007
Content by: Made Simple Group
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